Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-02-14
LITTLE BEN.

gentle as a woman =. Captain, can Spi
take me with you To st. Louis,
Not allowed 10 carry any passengers,
said the captain. gruiily, without lookin!
up from his desk.
The tug boat Staver. with her tow o
barGes was lying al the bank at Cairo
Ills. She was the only boat in sight tina
showed any sign Of life; all the other
were laid up for the winter; naviga
ton was perilous. The great rive
was choked and full of huge masses o
floating ice, and all the land was deep witt
SNOW and sleet. 1t was intensely cold. /
was the 22d of December.
Il didn't mean to go as a passenger
said the voice Il thought may he yu,
might let me work my way with th
crew" "
mo; got all the hands we want, / be
licve,' said the captain, busy with hi:
bills
Captain, I'll work mighty hard.-cap
tain, please, can't | 80 with you, siry' II,
tried 10 speak bravely, but il was pain
fully evident that he was forcing back
sob.
The captain finished his waybill an,
look up Mt his visitor.
well. he dam said the captain
/ 1t was a very small boy who had Offered
his services 10 the captain; "A lad with tn,
face and features of delicate girl Hi:
soft dark hair hung in waveletS about hi:
/ neck. His cheeks We're pinched ans
shrunken rs if from illness. His clothing
was scanJ and thin. He WAS trembling
! with cold. and his wide brown eyes has
/ in them look so imploring that the cap
tain. as soon as he had recovered from
/ his establishment, told him TO come int,
/ the Office and get warm.
Il know I'm mighty little, captain, ;
said the boy as he stood by the stove
but I'm II years old, and I'll work hare
As anybody, sir. -
That's all right, sonny said the cap
tain. Whats your name. anyhow
Ben" answered the boy.
$50 you want to 20 10 st. Louis, d,
you, Ben. What do you want 10 30 ther,
for?''
The boy looked at the bluff officer {
moment and then he said:
1t IS almost Christmas, and promise.
mother l was coming home. Mother lives
in st. Louis
His simple words touched the captain
The captains mother lived in st. Louis
too, and he was trying TO reach home in
time 10 spend the holidays with her
We'll. what's the matter" asked the
captain. Amt you got no money Sci
down here, little chap, and tell us about
it. Looks like you' been having pretty
tough time
The boy sat down. and the captain, by
much questioning, obtained his story. 1t
was told in a simple. honest way His
parents had resided in New Orleans. He
WAS born there. His father was an artist,
who made a sufh lent income Ia support
his family in comfort and 10 send his little
son to a musical school. Two years be
fore his father died suddenly. and his
mother moved to St. Louis. where she in
vested her funds in trade, and opened a
modest little millinery establishment in
one of the poorer sections of the city.
Business did not flourish with the widow
but she managed by dint of saving 10 keep
her boy at school.
Il mover knew but what mother had
plenty of money" said the boy in his
simple way. she always gave me every
thing ] wanted, till one day last summer
she came i'll my room, and | was singing
and playing on my guitar tear
drops had been slowly forming in the
boys 5 eyes He brushed them away has
tily with the back of his hand-''Sh
looked so pretty" he said. that ran up
to her and kissed her She was smiling
when she came in my room. but when
kissed her she laid her head on my shOul.
der and cried. and it nearly killed me:
never saw mother cry before. And she
said she was just nervous and nothing
was the matter; but made her tell me.
and she said her money WAS nearly gone
and she was afraid | would have to stop
music lessons. And | told her not to cry.
cause I'd make money for her, and. cap
tain. | done it, too" There was a tone
of triumph in his voice, and for moment
his pale face flushed with conscious pride
Il never told mother what was going
To do knew she wouldn't let me-but |
took my guitar and went out of the house.
and then wrote mother note and told
her | was going away for little while.
and | would write TO her every day and
send her some money. walked from one
town to another all the summer. and in
the evenings | used TO stand on the cor
ner and sing, and people gave me lots of
money. | sent it all to mother except a
little I kept to pay my board. l told
mother | was in business. never said
in the summer time, but when the
weather got chilly didn't make so much.
and I sent it all to mother. and some
times slept out doors. And then got
sick, and had chills every day, and they
shook me all to pieces, and couldn't sing
like | used 10 and people stopped paying
me and sold my gAPrar to a man, and |
seat the money TO mother.
nd I
she was begging me to come home, and
she sa,si she did not need my money and
business was getting good, but you see.
captain, she fooled me once before. /
knew she would say ANYTHING to get me
back, but the last letter wrote told her
/ was coming home and I'd be there for
Christmas. And yesterday and last night
walked all the way from Paducah
trough the snow, and captain, can't
walk any more"
He had forgotten his present trouble in
the recital Of his adventures. He seemed
suddenly to remember his position He
looked at the captain with great pleading
Eyes.
Captain he almost sobbed, sI'u
work. Ple;s Sc sir. let me CO. and then
he little chap broke down and the tears |
lal 10 come
The captain got up and looked through |
he httlc window. He blew his nose and |
wiped it car fully. Then he sat down
.GGln.
We'll, well,'' he said, Il wouldn't cry
bout it, sonny. | reckon we can fix it
or You. IcXpect you do want To see your
mother. suru nUr"
Thank You. sir, said the boy. drying
us eyes; Il never will forget your kind
esS, captain, and now I'm ready for
york
The captain looked at the boy and
luGhed
"lon needn't do anything. sonny: Just
tay aboard and make yourself comforta-
le -
But the boy persisted, and the CAPTAIN
nGllS told him To 90 below and do what
yer the mate commanded.
An. hour later the SLAYER was making
ne best of her way up the ice filled tur-
ulent Mississippi, and the captain had
early forgotten about the boy. He
'prkpd with the crew milling tho sIeatv |